Concerts on Canal help foster community, drive traffic to support downtown business

LACONIA — The Independence Day weekend Concerts on Canal show had the largest turnout yet, featuring '80s tunes from AXIS as well as a variety of food and other vendors. For some nearby business leaders, the concert series has had a positive affect on their bottom line.

Jim Daubenspeck, owner of Daub’s Cobbler Shop on Canal Street, said he closed at noon on July 5. He then came back later in the afternoon to enjoy himself. He kept the lights on in his shop to attract the attention of concertgoers. He doesn’t get any customers during the events, but his tactics seem to attract customers for weeks after.

“I'll have people for weeks on end coming in and saying, ‘Hey, we saw you when we were at Concerts on Canal,' or at the Pumpkinfest or whatever we have down here,” he said. “So you always want to be part of it.”

Hosted by NH Vintage Vinyl, the July 5 Concerts on Canal event brought out over 150 people to enjoy music and food.

Defiant Records & Craft Beer hosts an outdoor patio to serve bar drinks on Canal Street, where attendees can watch the performance. General Manager Kayla Bastille said they get a lot of customers during the event.

“It's really good for us. We do live music inside, they do live music outside,” she said. “We complement each other really well, so we love that they do it.”

Izzy Usle, manager of Innisfree Bookshop on Main Street, said the store closes at 4:30 p.m., and the event starts at 5 p.m., so any increased downtown activity doesn’t have much effect at her business. Most businesses downtown were either closed for Independence Day weekend or had already shut their doors for the day. Usle said she enjoys the music.

“Usually, I walk by when I'm walking back to my car after my shift,” she said. “Sounds pretty nice.”

Some vendors at the event were selling snacks. A table set up by the Paugus Bay sober living house served cookies, brownies, lemonade and popcorn as a fundraiser. House alumna Carla Longo said they didn’t make a lot of money at the event, but people sometimes tipped.

“We’re having fun. And people are generous,” she said.

Noelle Bouffard was promoting Bakehouse, a home bakery she started to help her in her journey to maintain sobriety. She sold a variety of cookies for $1, and 10% of her profits go to the Granite Recovery Center. Bouffard said she was doing well at the event, selling a dozen cookies in her first hour.

“This is just such a nice place of community and connection,” she said.

Dan McLaughlin, owner of NH Vintage Vinyl, said the turnout was the largest for his events this year. It excites him for the next event on Friday, July 18, which will feature the rock band Whiskey Lit, and a burger and hot dog bar from Laconia Village Bakery, along with their baked goods. He thanked the Laconia Rotary Club for donating the stage. He also emphasized the events are a good way for families to enjoy the music.

“It’s an environment where you can bring your kids, too, because a lot of the times they play in bars where you can't bring your kids,” he said. “It's nice to be able to see them in a family-friendly environment.”

Concerts on Canal are hosted on the first and third Fridays of the month this summer. The first event this month was shifted due to the Independence Day holiday.

Leia Fabian, vice president and treasurer of Celebrate Laconia, said the event is an overall net gain for the community.

“Even if you don't want to come down and spend [money], you'll come down and listen to music. You can sit on the side and just relax, take in some music and just have a good night.”